


20 Things About Kishimoto Kaoru

by jetsam



Category: Hikaru no Go
Genre: 1000-5000 Words, 20 Things, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-03
Updated: 2010-01-03
Packaged: 2017-10-05 17:54:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jetsam/pseuds/jetsam





	20 Things About Kishimoto Kaoru

1\. When he was younger, Kishimoto used to dream of becoming a professional go player. He knows now that it will never happen - he simply isn't talented enough. He also knows that it doesn't mean that he's not intelligent enough. He'd rather be intelligent, anyway. While he has a great deal of respect for say Touya Meijin and Ogata-sensei, there are other go pros who are somewhat lacking in that respect.

2\. In some ways, Kishimoto enjoyed being an insei. He liked the focus of the sessions and the way Shinoda-sensei discussed the games with them. He didn't like being in the Class 2, especially after a while when it was clear that he was going to struggle to advance. If was going to do this, he wanted to be the best.

3\. What really annoyed him was the way certain children, younger even than he was, came into the class, attended study sessions every week with their sponsoring pro and advanced to the Class 1 in a matter of months.

4\. The insei that Kishimoto disliked the most was Waya. When he greeted Waya-kun in the lift one morning, it was clear that the boy didn't even know his name and that _really_ annoyed him. Kishimoto has never liked feeling insignificant. He doesn't appreciate being teased about his taste in coffee either.

5\. Kishimoto has always liked it at Kaio, both in the junior high and now the high school division. To start with, he's among the best go players and the responsibility of helping the others advance lies with him. He feels in control and for now that's enough.

6\. Technically, there is someone who can beat Kishimoto at Kaio, even when he's 1st board, but Yun-sensei has always been different. Playing him stretches his mind like attempting a new personal best in athletics stretches his muscles, lifting him just beyond where he has gone before.

7\. At first, being a member of a go club and playing team matches seemed strange to Kishimoto. Now the only strange thing about it is the way that boys and girls are separated. When he was an insei, they were mixed in. It isn't as if the girls are worse - in fact Hidaka is second only to him in the club. At least this way more people get to play in competitions, which he has to concede is a good thing.

8\. In many ways Kishimoto feels that he should be jealous of Touya Akira. After all, he's always harboured a certain amount of resentment for Waya, Isumi and the rest. The jealousy never quite materialises, even when they're in the same school. It seems to him like Touya belongs to another world and Kishimoto just wants him to join it and stop distracting the rest of the club.

9\. That doesn't mean he'd say no to a game if Touya offered. Or Shindou: Kishimoto would quite like to play him too.

10\. Shindou Hikaru has confused Kishimoto since the first time he saw him at the tournament when Kishimoto himself was a mere spectator. A boy that good should not have come from nowhere, certainly should not have destroyed a Kaio player like that and should not have turned up in the next year's tournament with a completely different (and worse) playing style.

11\. Kishimoto is almost relieved when he plays Shindou in the go salon that one time. At least this time the boy seems to have moved forwards. To be honest, Kishimoto is impressed at the rate of growth compared to his standard in the tournament where he played Touya.

12\. If there is one thing that Kishimoto hates more than anything, it is wasted talent. Not having the talent himself is bad enough; seeing someone else squander it is worse. That's why he gives Shindou a none too subtle shove in the right direction. Touya clearly believes that Shindou is worth chasing and Kishimoto himself can see his potential. As such, he is happy to take almost full responsibility for setting Shindou on the path to the pros (the rest of the credit goes to Touya, for being such an irresistible target).

13\. Kishimoto finds Haze altogether an interesting school. They are the only school that would dare turn up with a shougi player and an elementary school kid on the team (not that either player is in any way lacking). He wonders how different it must be from Kaio's large club, with their coaching and internal tournaments. Haze's not a conventional go club but they are surprisingly proficient.

14\. Haze's Mitani fascinates Kishimoto. It isn't that he is exceptionally talented. Good, yes, but not at the level to become a pro. Maybe it is because he _is_ playing at Kishimoto's level. He wonders if it might be the way that Mitani looks at him; looks at him in the same way that Touya looks at Shindou.

15\. Mitani is good enough to play him evenly; given a few years he will likely be good enough to be a true rival. Kishimoto is watching his progress with interest. Perhaps too closely - there are only so many times they can conceivably meet accidentally in go salons.

16\. Kishimoto wonders sometimes what it would be like if he hadn't given up his place as an insei. Would something have finally clicked and moved his skill to the next level? He doubts it. He only thinks of it when things are going less than well at school. He's fairly sure that he knows what his level and his potential are.

17\. Kishimoto goes to high school and enjoys himself. He has no wish to be out in the world of work so soon and almost pities those pros who are. It is nice to be studying a wide curriculum - he would regret it if he had to drop maths - rather than focusing on one thing all the time. It's also nice to be treated as a child on occasion and not be the one worrying about money or cooking or laundry.

18\. He is in the go club at his high school and is quietly working his way to the top. It's not just the competitive tournament and ranking games that Kishimoto enjoys. Sometimes it's nice just to play relying on instinct and allowing himself to experiment. He's not sure a pro could let his guard down enough do that, either.

19\. Kishimoto can't stay away from the Hokuto Cup. After all, to some extent he set these events in motion (although even Shindou seems to have forgotten that). The games themselves… He can't even imagine being able to read that deeply. Watching them play and listening carefully to the commentary, he can almost see what they mean when they talk about searching for the Hand of God.

20\. Kishimoto knows his own abilities. He is one of the top amateurs in his age group. Some day, he would like to play in the international amateur tournaments. Until then he will keep competing, chasing the few seniors who still rank above him in his club. He wants to be at the top by the time Mitani makes it into high school. After all, he has a reputation to maintain and it wouldn't do to face him across the goban as anything less than first board.


End file.
